Castiël heaved a happy sigh as he pulled on his black T-shirt to work at the bar.
It was inconvenient on one side, but he liked the job on the other.
Balthazar had suddenly upped and left, no explaination given, which had made Gabriel hatch the ridiculous theory that he was a weapons dealer and the cops got too close.
Castiël thought it way more likely that Balthazar had found a lover somewhere and on a whim had moved in with them.
He didn't mind. He wanted his friend to be happy and healthy.
Only downside: Castiël has to work two jobs to keep his house.

Again Gabriel had come to the rescue. He had told Castiël about the weekend job at his favorite wateringhole.
Castiël had once again applied, and got the job.
He'd been tending the bar for half a year now, and he liked how people told him their troubles, and he could help them by being him
He often repeated Dean Winchester's advice to him.
"Be true to yourself. You are the only you there is..."

Well over another year had passed since that night when Castiël had seen Dean perform, and consequently realised that his crush hadn't been gone at all. Dean had sung on the last Christmas party too, and it had been painfully obvious to Castiël and his brother that 'dear old Dean-o' (as Gabriel called him) was still very much in love with his cheating skank girlfriend. Who blatantly danced and flirted with Brady, the guy she'd been screwing around with for over a year.

Castiël's phone bleeped as he got a message.

Received 4.27 pm Gabriel:
Cassie, you still working double shifts?
Please let me help you find another housemate.
You'll work yourself to the ground.

Castiël shook his dark head, and ignored the message.
After Balthazar, Castiël did not want Gabriel to help him get another tenant. He would find some poor schmuck that would not realise Gabriel was trying to set up his baby brother, and trouble would come of it.

From the start of May on, Gabriel suddenly started sending weird messages to Castiël, who, after puzzling over them, decided to let him get it out of his system, whatever it was.
It started with this cryptic message, recieved on May 5th.

Received 10.17 Gabriel:
Cassie!
A little birdy told me someone got in late, hugged pseudo Dad, who got in bro, and holed up for an hour and a half, emerging looking like hammered crap.
Do we smell trouble in paradise?

Castiël, stumped as to who or what this was about, had replied with a curt message, telling his brother to butt out of unknowing peoples lives.
That had seemed to help, but somewhere mid June, he got another.

Received 5,32 Gabriel:
Dude,
Third day of dropping off, picking up.
No kissy or hugs. None of the times.
He seems cold, distant.
The plot thickens.

Castiël was working overtime that day, he had seen Dean drive off with Lisa and he was definitely not in the mood for his brother's games. He called him.
"Gabriel... stop messing with people. I don't know, and I don't care, who this is about. Go home, get into watching some horrible Spanish soap-opera. Leave real life people in peace!"
Gabriel had cackled, making Castiël fear the worst for the poor persons Gabriel was interested in.
"Sorry, bucko! No can do. I'm too invested in this one! You take care, and don't work too late. Otherwise you might get trapped inside the building again."

Castiël narrowed his eyes at that remark.
"I am still convinced you had something to do with that. Jacob usually checks all offices twice. How he missed me is beyond me. It was embarrassing to get arrested and having to prove I work here. I am glad mr. Crowley came over to do so."
Gabriel was laughing by now.
"Seriously, Cassie. How could I be involved? You're lucky mr. Gold got that call, recognised your name and got Crowley to vouch. Just be out before seven, huh?"
Castiël grunted a farewell and disconnected.

Somewhere, half way through October, Castiël was called to Customer Care for a party.
Sighing, because A: he still had work to do and B: he did not want to see Lisa, Castiël grabbed his suit jacket and got to the second floor.
The two-timing trollop was sitting on her desk, radiant.
"Hello, handsome!" she greeted him.
"I'm buying all of you some drinks. Not me though. Well nothing strong for me. I'm pregnant!"
Bile rose in Castiël's throat as he accepted a cup of sparkling white wine.
He managed to grit his teeth and give a "Congratulations" , then he downed the cup in one go.
He even managed to stay an acceptable time. He smiled and waved goodbye before leaving for the bathroom to throw up.

Gabriel was there, of course he was.
"Easy bro... easy. I'm sorry."
Castiël had turned his miserable blue eyes on his big brother, who rubbed soothing circles on his back as he ducked his head back down and heaved.
"You know, Cassie. There's a pretty big chance it isn't even his. I mean, she was boinking Brady, but I caught her hopping on the good foot, doing the bad thing with Zachariah too."
Castiël gagged even worse.
"I know. He could be her Dad! Oh, and Isaiah and Remi... she's at least snogged them."
Wiping his mouth, Castiël got to his feet. He washed his face and rinsed his mouth at the bathroom sink.
"All of that doesn't matter, Gabriel. If Dean doesn't know the baby isn't his, he shall care for it. And she can break him for the rest of his life. All she needs to do is tell him."

And that thought haunted him, every time he saw Dean, or Lisa.
He wanted to take Dean aside and just blurt it all out, but who was he to do that? Wasn't he just jealous, and wanting to break things between the two?
So he smiled and waved, noting how Dean seemed tired, but still perky towards everyone.
Christmas was nearing, and Castiël was loath to think of the upcoming party.
He'd stay in the shadows, observe and be gone as soon as it was acceptable.